The 2022 FIFA World Cup final is set with France and Argentina set to do battle Sunday.
In a matchup between two of the highest-rated teams in the world, Kylian Mbappe and France (ranked third entering the tournament) will hope to defend their crown while Argentina (fourth) fights one last time to earn Lionel Messi the elusive title. Soccer fans couldn’t ask for a better matchup on paper, but things are looking like they could be altered entering Sunday’s match.
France manager Didier Deschamps revealed the club is taking precautions to stop a virus spreading through the squad before the World Cup final. Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot were unavailable for Wednesday’s semifinal win over Morocco after suffering from an unspecified sickness in previous days.
“In Doha, temperatures have fallen a little bit, you have air conditioning which is on all the time,” Deschamps said, per ESPN. “We’ve had a few cases of flu-like symptoms. We are trying to be careful so it doesn’t spread and players have made great efforts out on the pitch and obviously their immune systems suffer.
“Dayot Upamecano felt sick immediately after the match (against England). It happens when you make such an effort, your body is weakened and you are more prone to be infected by these viruses.”
Upamecano did not record any goals or assists in France’s first six World Cup matches, though Rabiot has scored one goal and assisted on another in the five matches he’s played during the tournament.
As things currently stand, France remains the favorite over Argentina. Les Bleus are -120 favorites to win the World Cup at DraftKings Sportsbook and -125 BetMGM. La Selección have +100 odds to win the World Cup on DraftKings and -110 odds on BetMGM. You can find out more about how to improve your betting odds here.
